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• Leaving Cert. English (Higher) 2011: Paper 1 Section II Composing
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Leaving certificate english exam & revision.

The Leaving Certificate English Exam is the final test for students studying English as part of their Leaving Cert. English is a mandatory subject and one of the largest subjects in the Leaving Certificate. Students' grades in the Leaving Cert English course are solely based on their performance in a written exam; this exam is split across two papers, which students sit at the end of their Leaving Cert. SimpleStudy offers exclusive revision tools and learning resources for Leaving Certificate English, Including; Revision Notes, Past Exams, Questions by topic, Quizzes, and other unique features usually reserved for private schools or expensive tutors.

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Reading comprehension, poetry - bishop (2023/24), poetry - dickinson (2023/24), poetry - heaney (2024), poetry - hopkins (2024), poetry - ní chuilleanáin (2024), poetry - plath (2024), poetry - rich (2023), poetry - boland (2025), poetry - donne (2023/24), poetry - yeats (2023), algebra topic.

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Really Useful Links for Writers: Leaving Cert Essay Writing

Paul FitzSimons

• 29 May 2014

I have good news – the weather will be beautiful next Wednesday. The sun will shine, the skies will be clear, the temperature will be in the twenties. How do I know that? Because it’s the first day of the Leaving Cert Exams.

Besides being the unofficial start of summer, Day 1 of the Leaving is also English Paper 1, the culmination of two years’ work for around fifty thousand English language students.

The Leaving Cert English exam is divided into two papers – Paper 1, which is all about comprehension and composition and Paper 2, which covers The Single Text , The Comparative Study and Poetry. Like the other two-part exams Maths and Irish, English 1 and 2 happen on two different days – the first Wednesday and Thursday mornings of the schedule. Maybe this is to give brains and hands a chance to recover from a hectic morning of essay-writing.

Besides having the aptitude to tell a good story, writing essays at Leaving Cert level requires certain acquired skills, most of which we learn over the years of study prior to the exam. However, there are some aspects of writing the perfect essay that we don’t necessarily pick up or, with the deluge of knowledge that we’re trying to take in, have slipped from our memories. Thankfully, there are plenty of online resources that will fill in those gaps and also offer some additional advice on writing, organisational and time-saving that will prove invaluable on the day.

On the ever useful website LeavingCertEnglish.net – seriously, I wish this had been around in my day – we are given an invaluable guide to preparing for and then sitting down to English Paper 1. Their pages include advice on approaching each essay, what needs to be covered to achieve a passing mark and what flourishes will help to get that all-important A.

After sitting his Leaving Cert in 2011, student and blogger Aidan Curran decided to take the lessons he learned during that traumatic year and share them on his website. His post How To Get An A In English Essay Writing takes us through everything we need to remember coming up to and during the exam. He reminds us that, as essay-writing is not something we can memorize, it makes it both the easiest and most difficult part of the exam.

Most of the above applies to Paper 1 of the exam. Of course, there are also some essays to be written for Paper 2, which deals with curriculum’s prescribed texts, such as the play, novels and poetry. The Clevernotes website offers us some invaluable advice on tackling the second English paper compositions, suggesting that, in order to form a cogent and coherent response to the question asked, an essay must always contain an introduction, a number of well-focused body paragraphs and a conclusion.

For some slightly more tongue-in-cheek advice on essay writing, we can watch video blogger Clisare’s video on Entertainment.ie. She takes us through her unique thoughts on writing both English and Irish essays. She does offer some interesting insight but the fact that she advises us to remind the teacher that ‘Irish is a dead language’ suggests that we should probably take most of her tips with a grán salainn.

If you feel an online tutor will be able to help, check out TutorHunt .

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” – Sydney J. Harris

A Whole Website Dedicated To It.

LeavingCertEnglish.net has all the advice, information and sample exams we need to tackle the Paper 1 essay.

“”Stick to the topic. Have plenty of ideas. Identify problems but also offer solutions.”

http://leavingcertenglish.net/2012/03/inspiration/ .

Them’s The Rules.

LeavingCertEnglish.net takes us through six important rules for writing the perfect essay.

“It’s really important to grab the reader’s attention. Use a quote, or a series of rhetorical questions, a list, or a vivid description.”

http://leavingcertenglish.net/2011/05/six-rules-of-essay-writing/

From The Horse’s Mouth.

Recent Leaving Cert student Aidan Curran takes us his advice on Essay-writing, based on his own experience.

“Obviously, when you get the essay titles first you say “That’s it, I’m screwed, we’ll call it a day”. But if you just look at them, you’ll realise that they can be changed to your strengths.”

http://aidancurran.com/how-to-get-an-a1-in-english-essay-writing-aidan-curran/

It’s Not All About Paper 1, You Know.

English Paper 2, which deals with the subject’s prescribed texts and poetry, also involves some essay writing. Clevernotes tells us how to tackle it.

“The most basic principal of essay writing is that it should be structured. Your essay must form a cogent and coherent response to the question asked.”

https://www.clevernotes.ie/english/hl/leaving-cert/how-to-write-a-paper-two-essay/

And Lastly, Some Proper Serious Advice (Or Maybe Not)

Vlogger Clisare gives us her unique take on Essay Writing.

“Always end English Language essays with ‘…and then I woke up.’ Teachers love that.”

http://entertainment.ie/wtf/WATCH-How-to-write-a-leaving-cert-essay/191520.htm

(c) Paul FitzSimons

About the author

Paul FitzSimons is a screenwriter and novelist and has written the novel ‘Burning Matches’ and a number of scripts for film and TV. He has worked as a storyline writer on RTE’s ‘Fair City’. His short stories are published in ‘Who Brought The Biscuits’ by The Naas Harbour Writers. Paul likes crime thrillers, good coffee and Cadbury’s chocolate. He doesn’t like country-and-western music or people who don’t indicate on roundabouts.

Paul also runs the  Script Editing service Paul | The | Editor .  paulfitzsimons.com

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• Jan 11, 2023

Writing a Personal Essay for the Leaving Cert: Tips and Strategies

Updated: Feb 17

Introduction to the Personal Essay

As a Leaving Cert student, you may be required to write a personal essay as part of your exams or coursework. A personal essay is a piece of writing that explores a personal experience, opinion, or belief. It allows you to express your thoughts and feelings about a particular topic and can be a powerful way to convey your personality and values to readers.

Choosing a Topic for Your Personal Essay

One of the key steps in writing a personal essay is choosing a topic that is meaningful and engaging for you. The best personal essay topics are often personal experiences or events that have had a significant impact on your life or beliefs.

They may also be issues or ideas that you are passionate about and want to explore in more depth.

When choosing a topic, it's important to consider your audience and the purpose of your essay. If you're writing a personal essay for a college application, for example, you may want to choose a topic that showcases your unique qualities and experiences and aligns with the values and mission of the college.

It's also a good idea to choose a topic that you feel comfortable and confident writing about. Avoid choosing a topic that is too broad or abstract, or that you don't have enough personal experience with to write about with depth and insight.

Tips for Structuring Your Personal Essay

Once you've chosen a topic, the next step is to organize your thoughts and ideas into a clear and cohesive structure. A typical personal essay will have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The introduction should introduce your topic and provide some context for your essay. You might also want to include a thesis statement, which is a sentence that states your main argument or point of view.

The body paragraphs should support your thesis and provide specific examples and details to illustrate your points. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your topic and have a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis, and may also include a call to action or a reflection on the significance of your topic.

Tips for Writing a Strong Personal Essay

To write a strong personal essay, there are a few key tips to keep in mind:

Use concrete details and specific examples to illustrate your points: Rather than just stating your beliefs or opinions, use specific examples and details to bring your essay to life and make it more persuasive.

Use a clear and engaging writing style: Avoid using jargon or overly complex language, and aim for a clear and engaging writing style that is easy for readers to follow.

Use transitions to connect your ideas: Use transitional words and phrases to help your essay flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next.

Edit and proofread your essay carefully: Make sure to revise and proofread your essay carefully to catch any mistakes or awkward phrasing. It can be helpful to read your essay aloud or have someone else read it to catch any errors.

Seek feedback and guidance: Don't be afraid to ask for feedback from a teacher or peer on your essay. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

In conclusion, the personal essay is a valuable opportunity for Leaving Cert students to express their thoughts and feelings about a personal experience.

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The Leaving Cert personal essay is a well loved and virtually permanent feature of Paper 1 (here is some evidence ).

It belongs in the 100 marks Composition section, the single biggest chunk of the English exam.

What is the personal essay?

It calls for a confessional, introspective tone.

Do you like the sound of these questions:

• Remember those times when you did not say what you really thought or felt. Why didn’t you? How do you feel about it now?
• How would you feel about a terrible event of your past if it happened today?
• What did you learn about building family relationships based on the experience of your parents and grandparents?

You get the message – this is serious life stuff! The Leaving Cert personal essay may be one of the only times you truly get to be yourself in a standardised exam.

The marking scheme allows us to interpret the term “personal essay”’ liberally, potentially even entirely or partly as personal (first person) narratives.

How to do well in the personal essay?

Reading such an essay, you should get the feeling that you are learning someone’s deeper thoughts and reflections. It shouldn’t feel like an opinion piece in a newspaper.

Even though a certain stream of consciousness quality is usually acceptable with these essays, remember that clarity (the P of PCLM) always gets priority .

By reading the correct and H1 sample essays below, you will learn how much to write, what kind of themes come up again and again and how you may be able to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people just exist.’ – Oscar Wilde

Personal essay: pleasures particular to you for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post author: Martina
• Post published: April 18, 2019
• Post category: #625Lab / English / PCLM / Personal essay

Write a personal essay on what you perceive to be the pleasures particular to you. #625Lab. Corrected by an experienced examiner, graded as 83/100 with feedback on how to improve…

Personal essay: a time in your life in which you felt you were treated unfairly for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: March 22, 2019

Write a personal essay on a time in your life in which you felt you were treated unfairly. #625Lab. Corrected by an experienced examiner, graded as 79/100 with feedback on…

Personal essay: moments of insight and revelation for Leaving Cert English #625Lab (Divorce)

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Write a personal essay in which you reflect on moments of insight and revelation you have experienced. (2017) #625Lab. Theme: divorce. Some parts of this essay are outstanding, but it…

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Personal essay about significant endings for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

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Write a personal essay on the tension you find between the everyday treadmill and the gilded promises of life

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Leaving Cert English Personal Essay: one or more moments of uncertainty you have experienced.

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Sample short story

The following short story is an exercise I did in class with a group of Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate students. It is too short for an exam and it’s no masterpiece but it will give you the gist of the ingredients that go into writing a short story. It’s a bit like painting by numbers except it’s storytelling by numbers. Read the full story first, then look at the breakdown of how it was put together.

The graveyard was cold, dark and dreary. One weary old oak tree leaned over the entrance gate and broken battered headstones were scattered all around. I could hear the sound of the howling wind and the creak and groan of branches as they swayed in the storm. The smell of fear and rotting leaves filled my nostrils and I swallowed deeply afraid I would get sick.

As I walked towards my brother’s grave, I heard another noise. It was slow heavy footsteps. I turned. A tall muscular man was walking towards me. His face was tough & covered in stubble to hide the scars which criss-crossed his jaw.

“I don’t think this is such a good idea” I shouted over the wind.

“It’s too late to change your mind” the man replied in a low threatening voice. “Either we dig him up now or you spend the rest of your life wondering how he died”.

“Ok, ok” I mumbled, afraid to say anything more in case the lump in my throat would cause tears to run down my face.

I could still remember the day those two army officers arrived at my house to tell me my brother was dead. Their cold hard faces gave little away when I asked how he died. “Killed in the course of duty” was all they would say. Everything else was “classified”. They handed me a letter from my brother, saluted, then turned and left, the click-clack of their shoes on the pavement slowly dying away. I stood frozen to the spot, dazed, confused and devastated. I finally opened the letter with trembling fingers but only one line stared back at me. “I’ll always be with you brother. Karl”. What did he mean? How could he be with me ever again? He was dead.

Now I leaned heavily on the rusty shovel in my hands and started to dig, determined to uncover the truth. The scar-faced man beside me began to dig at the other end and soon my brother’s coffin began to emerge from beneath the layers of sodden earth. Faced with this moment of truth, I began to panic. What if I was wrong? I knew Karl hated the army, I knew he wanted out. His girlfriend Sarah hadn’t turned up at the funeral, hadn’t contacted her family in the two months since his death. But maybe she just needed some space?

I looked down at the coffin as my hired helper tugged at the lid with a crowbar. With a loud snap the lid flew back revealing the frozen corpse inside. My whole body filled with relief – there was a dead man in the coffin. But it wasn’t my brother.

Now look at the analysis of how the story was put together step by step.

STEP ONE: WHERE – describe the place where the story happens. Sentence 1 & 2 describe sights, 3 & 4 sounds & smells:

The graveyard was cold, dark and dreary. One weary oak tree leaned over the entrance gate and broken battered headstones were scattered all around. I could hear the sound of the howling wind and the creak and groan of branches as they swayed in the storm. The smell of fear and rotting leaves filled my nostrils and I swallowed deeply afraid I would get sick.

STEP TWO: WHO – introduce/describe the characters. Describe what you did/saw/heard/smelt .

STEP THREE: WHAT happens between these two characters? Usually one character wants something and tries to get it but something goes wrong. This is revealed here through dialogue.

“I don’t think this is such a good idea” I shouted over the wind. “It’s too late to change your mind” the man replied in a low threatening voice. “Either we dig him up now or you spend the rest of your life wondering how he died”. “Ok, ok” I mumbled, afraid to say anything more in case the lump in my throat would cause tears to run down my face.

STEP FOUR: FLASHBACK – a memory from before this story began.

STEP FIVE: RETURN TO THE STORY – what happens next? Focus on the thoughts and feelings of the main character.

STEP SIX: FINISH WITH A TWIST

28 responses to “ Sample short story ”

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